Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister's Question Time from 20th March 1991.

PRIME MINISTER:

Uniform Business Rate

Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the impact of the operation of the uniform business rate on (a) offices, (b) factories, (c) warehouses and (d) shops in Wales relative to England.

The Prime Minister : The uniform business rate poundage for 1990-91 has been set at 36.8p in the pound in Wales in order to raise broadly the same amount in real terms from private business and nationalised industries as in 1989-90. The same principle has been adopted in England.

The combined impact of the revaluation of non-domestic property and the introduction of the uniform business rate on the specified categories of property is shown in the tables :

Changes in aggregate rate bills<1>

between 1989-90 and 1990-91

Percentage change

Property type |Wales |England

--------------------------------------------------------

Offices |0 |12

Factories |-26 |-31

Warehouses |-17 |-22

Shops |21 |18

<1> After allowing for inflation as measured by the retail prices index and for appeals against valuation.